Wall construction



Feb. 17, 1942. F. LA GRO'ITA 2,273,276

WALL CbNSTRUCTION Filed May 11, 1940 INVENTOR Fran/v La (ii-atria ATTORbTE? Patented Feb. 17, 1942 @UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frank La Grotta, New York; N; Y., assignor' to Conver Steel & Wire Co. Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1940, Serial No. 334,478

6 Claims. (o1. vz ie) This invention relates to a wall construction and'is particularly directed to a frame which may be constructed entirely of metal, may be prefabricated, may be shipped in knocked down condition, may be easily assembled and may be so installed and assembled that it will accommodate the normal service mains regardless of their positions and yet will positively retain the necessary rigidity.

It is in the nature of a modification of the construction shown in my application Serial No. 313,734, filed on January 13, 1940,

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of such a wall frame, wherein is disclosed a base and channel studs;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical end view of said construction;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a modification of the device which is used as a wall furring;

Figure 5 is a vertical end view thereof partly broken away; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 of a modified form of wall furring.

Referring to the partition wall shown in Figures 1 and 2%, it includes a base consisting of runners l and 2 that are in the form of strips preferably made of metal. The strips are in spaced relation to each other and are held in spaced relation and to the floor by clips 3. Each of these clips is permanently secured at 4 to an upturned flange 5 of one of the runners 2 for instance. on the opposite end of the clip 3 is an upturned tongue 6 that may be inserted through an elongated opening I in an upturned flange 8 on the opposite runner l. Thus the lower ends of the runners are held in spaced relation to each other. The clip 3 may be secured to the floor by fasteners 9 such as nails or screws which will position the base on the floor and will insure the permanent securement of the runners together at their lower edges.

The upper downwardly turned flanges l0 and II on the runners I and 2 respectively are provided with elongated slots l2 which are adapted to receive tongues [3 on spacer clips M, which clips and tongues are associated with the runners l and 2 in the manner described in my previously referred to patent application, that is to say,'the tongues I3 pass through the apertures 12 and engage with the inner faces of the runners l as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing. Each of these clips is provided with an opening I5 for'the reception of a wall stud l8, which extends to the ceiling and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner as, for instance, in the manner illustrated in said patent application.

In assembling and placing the device above described the strip 2 may be placed upon the floor and secured thereto by the fastening means 9. The opposite strip I may then be dropped in place with the tongue 6 extending through the elongated opening 1. The spacer clips [4 are then attached to the upper edges of the runners I and 2 and the vertical studding put in place.

This arrangement, as it will be realized, makes it possible to pre-form the various elements of the construction and to assemble them with the greatest possible speed and exactitude of placement. Because of the possibility of adjusting one runner with relation to the other longitudinally, and the spacer clips l4 in respect of the runners, it is of course possible to place these elements of the wall construction in place in relation to the service mains regardless of the positions of these mains.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have illustrated a modification of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 in which certain elements thereof are used in furring rather than in wall construction, and in these figures the furring is so constructed that it will accommodate the vertical stud I8. In the construction shown in these figures a single runner l9 having flanges 20 and 2| similar to those described in Figure 1 is used. However, the elongated openings in the flanges are eliminated.

A fastener clip 22 having a keystone wing portion 23 adapted to fit within the channels formed by the flanges 20 and 2| is provided with a base 24 for attachment to the wall by fasteners 25.

In assembling these elements the spacer clips may be fastened to the wall and then the strip [9 simply slid upon the clips, or conversely the strip may be generally put in position and each fastener clip assembled therewith so that it is engaged with the strip in the manner described, and then the base of each clip may be attached to the wall. A tongue 26 is struck from each clip 22 and is adapted to resiliently clip the lower end ofthe U-shaped wall stud l8 to hold the lower ends of the studs in position, the upper ends of the studs being attached to the ceiling in any desired manner, such for instance as has been described.

With this construction the lathing may be placed upon the vertical studs in the usual manner and the plaster applied thereto.

In Figure 6 of the drawing I have illustrated the form of device in Figure attached to a wall furring in which no vertical stud is used. In this figure the spacer clip 28 is attached to the runner 29 in the manner described in Figure 5, and the base 30 is attached to the Wall by fastener means 3|.

In this form of device the elements may be assembled in the manner described in connection with the construction shown in Figure 5.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be realized that modifications in details of the construction may be made within the'scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wall base including spaced runners, one of said runners having apertures adjacent its lower edge, clips permanently secured to the other of said runners adjacent its lower edge and having tongues on the ends thereof engaged in said apertures, and means securing the upper edges of the runners together.

2. A wall base including spaced runners, one of said runners having an inwardly turned apertured flange adjacent, its lower edge, clips permanently secured, to the other of said runners adjacent its lower edge and having tongues on the ends thereof engaged in said apertures, and means securing the upper edges of the runners together.

3. A wall base including spaced runners, one of said runners having an inwardly turned flange adjacent its lower edge, clips carried by and extending from the other runner adjacent its lower edge, the flange on the first mentioned runner and the clips having interengaging tongues and apertures, and means securing the upper edges of the runners together.

4. A wall base including spaced runners, clips carried by and extending from one of said runners adjacent its lower edge, interengaging means on the clips and other runner located adjacent the lower edge of the other runner and securing the same together, and means securing the upper edges of the runners together.

5. A wall base including spaced runners, a clip permanently secured to one of the runners adjacent the lower edge of the latter and adapted to rest on a floor, and having means interengaged with the other runner adjacent the lower edge of the latter and locking the runner and clip together, which means is interengageable after the clip has been placed on the floor, and means securing the upper edges of the runners together.

6. A wall base including spaced runners, a clip permanently secured to one of the runners adjacent its lower edge and adapted to rest upon the floor, means on the other runner adjacent its lower edge engaging said clip above its upper surface to secure the runner and clip together whereby they may be interengaged after the clips are placed upon the floor, and means for securing the upper edges of the runners together.

FRANK LA GROTTA. 

